Sorry to hear it's been with you for so many years Deja Vu.

For me, it's relatively recently, just 7 months. What I've realised is that the medical fraternity don't really have a clue, other than some studies which have shown some medicines seem to alleviate symptoms for a proportion of patients.

Over here, it's gabapentin, then pregabalin, then duloxetine... then anything else they haven't tried yet.

It's a maddening illness. Completely inconsistent. Just as I start thinking there's improvement (or I'm being a hypochondriac), bam... I have one of those days or nights. I've had three bouts of trigeminal neuralgia which weren't fun, but I've found that 3 zopiclone pills knocks me out, and 7 hours later the pain has gone. It's either that or knock yourself unconscious. It's about 50% up on the recommended dose, but it's the only thing I found works.

Work think I'm a hypochondriac, but I never know from night to night if I'm going to get a couple of hours, 5, or none. I can walk like a king, or hobble about as if I'm drunk. Yesterday that lump which I have from time to time under the ball of my left foot had for the first time turned in my right foot and hand too. My wrists at times feel like someone's sawing them, while at others, I've a needle being driven into muscle and joints.

Work finally got fed up, and because my performance had slipped, put me on a final warning. At that stage, I went off sick.

The pregabalin makes me grumpy, when it's really not in my nature. Tonight, I've numbness in my hand, and it feels like someone's digging fingers into both my thighs. In another few minutes. It'll be somewhere else.

Does it cycle quickly about the body for other people?

Joe